6 JUNE 2003
Queen Silvia of Sweden met with Russian first lady Lyudmila Putin on Thursday, chatting with participants attending the Baltic Star international youth forum at the royal palace in Stockholm.

President Vladimir Putin's wife, who visited Helsinki earlier this week, is making a rare solo tour of Finland, Sweden and Germany to promote the foreign exchange project. Young people from 11 countries, including Russia, are participating in the festivals, which are organised by the centre for the development of the Russian language, of which Mrs Putin is patron.

Mrs Putin, whose trip marks an infrequent appearance in the spotlight, raised eyebrows last year with the release of her autobiography, in which she revealed that her husband believed that "a woman must do everything at home". But, in a later interview, she clarified her traditional role doesn't mean she backs down from discussions about world issues with the Russian statesman.

"I am concerned about many problems as a wife and a woman," she said. "I discuss these with Vladimir Vladimirovich when he has a minute free. When we talk about a problem, I give my point of view and sometimes this provokes a debate."